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Psalms 78:38

Mercy and compassionForgivenessGrace

36 But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.

37 Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.

And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

40 How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

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Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.
KJV
But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
WEB
But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
ASV
But he, being merciful, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath.
DARBY
But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:
BLB
And He, the compassionate One, forgave the iniquity and did not destroy [them]; and He often restrained His anger, and He did not stir up all His wrath.
ÅB
Men han, han er miskunnelig, han tilgir misgjerning og forderver ikke; mange ganger lot han sin vrede vende om og lot ikke all sin harme bryte fram.
OTB
Men Han, som er barmhjertig, tilga deres misgjerning og ødela dem ikke;
Og ofte holdt Han tilbake sin vrede
Og lot ikke all sin harme bryte løs.
B1930
Men han, han er miskunnelig, han tilgir misgjerning og forderver ikke; mange ganger lot han sin vrede vende om og lot ikke all sin harme bryte frem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Isaiah 48:9

    For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off.

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  • Numbers 14:18–20

    ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

    Read in context

  • Ezekiel 20:17

    Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or bring them to an end in the wilderness.

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  • Ezekiel 20:13–14

    Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

    Read in context

  • Isaiah 44:21–22

    Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you, and you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you.

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  • Ezekiel 20:21–22

    But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

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  • Exodus 34:6–9

    Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,

    Read in context

  • 2 Kings 21:20

    And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done.

    Read in context